Thénardier

Thénardier refers to a pair of fictional characters, Monsieur Thénardier and Madame Thénardier, in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. They are petty criminals who run a shabby inn and epitomize opportunism, greed, and cruelty. Throughout the narrative, the couple exploits others for profit and shows little regard for the welfare of those around them.

A central thread involving the Thénardiers is their treatment of Cosette, the young daughter of Fantine. They pretend to care for Cosette while using her as a servant and extracting money from Fantine for her upkeep, often through deceit and coercion. They are later implicated in further schemes against Jean Valjean and other characters, driven by self-interest rather than any sense of justice or compassion.

The Thénardiers have three children who appear in the story: Éponine and Azelma, the couple’s daughters, and Gavroche, their son, who becomes a streetwise youth associated with the Parisian revolutionaries. Gavroche’s independence and resourcefulness contrast with his parents’ unscrupulous behavior, and Éponine’s loyalty to Marius adds further complexity to the family’s role in the novel’s events.

In themes and portrayal, the Thénardiers symbolize social vice and the exploitation of the vulnerable, providing a counterpoint to the moral arcs of characters like Jean Valjean and Cosette. The characters have since appeared in various adaptations, where they are commonly depicted as principled or comic villains whose selfishness drives much of the conflict in the story.